FAO chief backs climate-resilient farming, aquaculture in Madagascar
By Abbas Nazil
FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu has reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to climate-resilient and inclusive agrifood systems during his recent visit to Madagascar, where he observed ongoing projects transforming local agriculture and fisheries through collaboration between FAO, the national government, cooperatives, and private companies.
The visit featured several successful initiatives that exemplify sustainable approaches to food production, particularly in aquaculture and rice farming, two key sectors for food security in Madagascar.
At a cage fish farming facility operated by Royal Tilapia, the Director-General saw firsthand how inclusive aquaculture can support rural livelihoods.
This company, which grew out of an FAO-backed pilot, now functions as a fully developed commercial operation with support from the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy.
It works closely with 40 cooperative associations by providing fingerlings and organic feed and purchasing harvested fish through a profit-sharing model.
The operation has created jobs, enhanced local food supply chains, and is now considered a model for climate-smart aquaculture in the region.
The Director-General also visited a 70-hectare rice production site run by a cooperative of five farmer associations, which collectively represent around 300 farming households—two-thirds of them led by women.
This cooperative is part of the Papriz initiative, which was established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The initiative focuses on improving the rice value chain and is currently in its third phase.
The cooperative uses *valin-tanana*, a traditional mutual aid system that allows producers to work in rotation on each other’s plots.
Each family maintains its own field, but rice is stored collectively in a community granary and sold during the lean season, helping to stabilize food supply and income.
In the Mahitsy municipality, the Director-General observed hybrid rice production by Yuan’s Hybrid Rice Company, a private enterprise that partnered with FAO through the South–South Cooperation Programme funded by China between 2018 and 2022.
Although the company began promoting hybrid rice before the programme, FAO’s support significantly expanded its reach.
Demonstration plots and farmer training sessions helped popularize hybrid rice technology, directly benefiting more than 1,000 farmers—59 percent of whom are women.
Yuan’s company continues to assist farmers by providing seeds and inputs on credit along with technical support, boosting yields and improving market access.
The Director-General concluded his visit at the Queen’s Palace, a key cultural heritage site in Antananarivo.
Accompanied by Madagascar’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, he emphasized the importance of preserving cultural identity as a foundation for long-term sustainable development.
This stop in Madagascar is part of the Director-General’s wider African tour, which also includes visits to Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
